The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County held their regular business meeting Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in the Chesapeake Building in Leonardtown.
The Commissioners recognized National Nursing Assistants Week and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with proclamations.
The Commissioners presented a virtual Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Community Corrections Facility located in Leonardtown.
Following the presentation, the Department of Human Resources recognized several employees from the Department of Public Works & Transportation, Emergency Services, Finance, Recreation and Parks and the Sheriff’s Office for 10 years of service.
The Commissioners approved a request from the St. Mary’s Metropolitan Commission to refund and refinance bonds for savings in debt service of $2 million.
The Board of Education received approval from the Commissioners for their FY2022 budget, which included $114,540,490. The approved funding from the Commissioners is an overall increase of $4,997,569 from FY2021 funding.
The FY2022 Cooperative Agreement between the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the county was approved by the Commissioners for the continuation of the program for the control and eradication of invasive and designated weed species in St. Mary’s County. The Maryland Department of Agriculture determines the designation of weeds considered invasive. Residents can contact the MDA main office at 410-841-5920 for information on local weed control.
A grant application request by the Sheriff’s Office for $13,835 for the FY22 Sex Offender Compliance and Enforcement in Maryland project was approved.
The new Visit St. Mary’s MD (VSMMD) Executive Director, Barbara Sopato briefed the Commissioners on new and existing initiatives relating to tourism services for the county. The Commissioners then approved the annual Memorandum of Understanding for FY2022 between the county and the nonprofit VSMMD entity to continue funding for the tourism plan.
The Commissioners also approved a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) to continue business counseling services from the Southern Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in St. Mary’s County. A branch of the SBDC is collocated with the Department of Economic Development in the Potomac Building. A counselor is available on a routine basis to individuals seeking SBDC’s services and serves as adjunct staffing to DED. SBDC provides market research, cash flow analysis, topic-specific training, and ongoing mentoring to small-business owners and startups in St. Mary’s County. Following the briefing, the Commissioners urged local businesses to take advantage of these tax-funded SBDC services.
The Department of Public Works and Transportation brought forward a request to renew the Operating Agreement between the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County and AIRTec, Inc. at the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport. AIRTec provides services at the airport for pilots and users. The Commissioners voted to renew the agreement.
The Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding from the Maryland State Department of Housing and Community Development for existing broadband expansion in the amount of $240,000. The funding will support continuing efforts to provide internet access to St. Mary’s County residents.
The Commissioners voted to approve an agreement with the YMCA to create a project Task Force consisting of several local key leaders, YMCA staff and County staff to collectively explore the Great Mills Pool site and Nicolet Park locations for the location of a recreational facility.
The next regularly scheduled business meeting of the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County is Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at 9 a.m. Commissioner decisions and related public documents are available on the county government website in BoardDocs. In addition, St. Mary’s County Commissioner Meetings may be viewed live Tuesday mornings on SMCG Channel 95 or as a replay Friday nights at 6:30 p.m. Meetings are also available for on-demand viewing on the St. Mary’s County Government YouTube Channel.
